Journey of our Lives
by DragonSlayer2526
Summary: Kayami Kishii arrives in the Kou Kingdom when she is a child as a political 'hostage' from her own Empire, she is then raised along side the Ren children to be their protector and servant as she grows up.
1. Prologue

_Kayoko Gozen walked into the house that she shared with the rest of the Gozen clan...as well as her daughter. She dropped the saddle that she had swung over her shoulders onto the floor and pushed her black hair out of her face._

 _"Mama!" A small voice shouted and she heard the sound of running feet._

 _The Ki warrior smiled widely and kneeled down, holding out her arms towards the small figure that was running towards her. She caught the small figure in a hug and she stood up, laughing with her in her arms._

 _"Hello, Kaya...you've been good?" Kayoko asked as she strokes her daughter's black hair._

 _"Yes!" Kayami shouted with a large smile._

 _Kayoko laughed and nuzzled her cheeks against her daughter's, "That's a good girl..."_

 _Kayami beamed at her mother as the older Ki carried her to their shared bed chambers, once there Kayoko gently placed her daughter onto their futon and kneeled down. Kayami plopped onto her mother's lap and looked up at her, facing her._

 _"What did you bring me?!" Kayami asked excited._

 _Her mother laughed and ruffled her hair, "I got you a horse...he's pure black." She stroked her hair as she said that. "He is the son of my own horse and will protect you in battle, my little warrior."_

 _"What's his name?"_

 _Kayoko chuckled and tapped her daughter's nose as she said, "He is to be your horse so you must be the one that'll have to name him."_

 _Kayami nodded her head slowly and looked up, thinking, "Mmm...Kurodayu! I will name him Kurodayu!"_

 _"Mmm, that's a good name!" Her mother said patting her head. "Your father is going to have a man named Kaisei train you...a birthday gift to you...do not worry, Kaisei is of our clan so you do not need to worry about being mistreated."_

 _The smile that her daughter had on her face was quickly replaced by a frown at the mention of her father, she saw him only once and that had been a terrible first meeting. Kayoko noticed her look as she smiled sadly and hugged her daughter tightly, placing her hand on the back of her daughter's head._

 _"Shh, my little warrior," Kayoko whispered feeling her daughter quiver and could feel her top becoming soaked with her tears. "Don't shed your precious tears, Gozen women are strong and cry for no man..."_

 _She felt her daughter's quivering slowly stop and she pulled away from her mother to wipe the tears away._

 _Kayoko moved her hands and gently cupped her daughter's cheeks as she whispered, "You will take your father's birthday gift, not because he is the Emperor but because this will help you get stronger that no one will be able to harm you as your grow older." Two sets of brown eyes met, one was still glistening with unshed tears while the other one was strong and unwavering. "Take advantage of this because he will not do it again, my little warrior."_

 _She then kissed Kayami's forehead._

 _"I love you more than anything in this world."_

 _"More than him?"_

 _"Yes...I love you more than him." Kayoko said she gently tucked her daughter's hair behind her ear._

 _Kayami smiled happily up at her mother before throwing her small arms around her neck and kissing her mother on the cheek, "I love you too, Mama!"_

 _Kayoko laughed and returned her daughter's hug and kiss. If the father of her child didn't want anything to do with Kayami then Kayoko would do it, she would hoard her daughter from everyone until Kaisei came for her to train her. Underneath her armor, she could feel the scroll that was given to her by a messenger from the Emperor...it was an order that Kayami will be sent to the Kou Empire to be a political hostage._

 _She lost her smile a little as she thought about it, it wasn't fair that she was to send her own child way while the Empress got to keep hers. Kayoko closed her eyes as she hugged her daughter tightly to her but she didn't allow the tears to form, like she had told her daughter she will not cry because she was a strong Ki warrior._

 _Kayoko pulled her daughter away from her and looked at her, "One day, you will have to marry, little warrior..."_

 _"What if it ends up like yours, Mama?"_

 _"You fight it then...don't suffer through it in silence, you have to stand up to your husband and his family," Kayoko said. "Don't be like I was when I married your father and became a concubine but as soon as that woman came into our lives, he started to withdraw and I allowed it to happen...so be strong, my little warrior."_

 _She leaned forward once more and pressed her lips against her daughter's forehead._

~.~.~.~

Kayami jerked in Kaisei's lap, waking up from a memory and rubbed her eyes to clear the sleep from them. Goro snorted and tossed his white head, stomping his foot when one of the Kou horses got too close to him. Her own black stallion, Kurodayu, was walking a little behind them tied to Goro's saddle by a long rope. Ki horses were known to be very aggressive towards each other and anyone who wasn't their rider.

"Awake, Princess?" Kaisei rumbled out.

"Yes...I had a dream of my mother." Kayami mumbled out.

Kaisei doesn't say anything to that but he pointed ahead of them and said, "We're here."

The girl looked up to see the looming Palace of the Kou Royal Family, frowning at the sight of it. She hadn't wanted to come here but the Ki Empress didn't wanted to send any of her own children to the Kou Empire as a sign of good will between the two nations so the bastard daughter of a Gozen woman was sent instead. Once inside the gates, Kaisei pulled Goro to a stop and dismounted before he helped Kayami down. The older Ki warrior gently placed his hand on the top of her head as he gently lead her forward, Kayami kept her eyes trained forward ignoring the sneers that she was getting from the Kou nobles.

"Greetings, Princess Kayami and Warrior Kaisei." The Kou Emperor said. "I am Emperor Ren Hakutoku and this is my Empress, Ren Gyokuen." He motioned to the woman standing next to him, Kayami eyed her warily but she wasn't sure why but this woman didn't sit right with the girl. "And these are our children." He motioned to the four children standing near them, they all shared similar features to the Empress.

Unbeknownst to Kayami and Kaisei, they were being watched by multiple sets of red eyes. Ren Kouen was standing next to his father, Ren Koutoku, as they watched the interaction between their Uncle and the two Ki people. His first thought of girl standing silently in front of the large, muscular man was that she was young, three years younger than Koumei and there had been an air of sadness around her...like she had been forced here against her will but she never once cried even when the Emperor spoke to her though she never once said anything, the man with her was the only one who spoke.

The man and girl bowed before a servant led them a way but when a servant had gone to collect their horses, the man snapped out, "Don't touch them unless you want your fingers bitten off!" The servant jolted in shock as his booming voice. "Those horses won't let anyone touch them expect their riders so we'll take them, just lead us to the stables." The man looked at the girl and motioned her forward.

Kouen watched as the young girl looked at the man before she trotted forward the black stallion who nickered when he saw her, lowering his large head to receive a rub on his forehead before she grabbed the rope as the man did the same. Then they walked away being led by the servant, one of the saddle bags on the girl's horse moved and then a small fox-like head popped up, looked around then popped back inside.

"Let's go." Koutoku said before he turned and walked away.

Kouen and his brother, Ren Koumei stared at the backs of the two outsiders before turning around to follow their father.

"Do you think we'll met them, brother?" Koumei whispered silently to his older brother.

"I don't know, we might but don't go looking for her." Kouen cautioned. "I don't think that man would like it."

Koumei glanced over his shoulder and said, "He's a big man..."

Kouen doesn't say anything so he and his brother silently follow their father and sisters. There might be a chance where they might never see or interact with her at all since it was such a large Palace after all.


	2. Chapter 1

Kayami was walking through the Palace the next day, Kaisei was talking to the Emperor and had told her to explore the Palace so that she could get used to it (aka not get lost and he'd be forced to go looking for her whenever she wasn't with him). She wore a plain Ki robe and woven sandals, her black hair was pulled back into a bun by a plain thin red rope.

As she walked by a corridor, she heard voices and looked over to see a group of Kou nobles talking amongst themselves and looking towards the back area of the corridor in front of the them. Kayami followed their gaze and saw a small figure patting the head of a woman who was acting odd, her brown eyes narrowed as she took in the scene before her. It was obvious that the nobles were talking about the woman and child so she turned towards them and headed in the direction, she could see the child getting ready to attack them (if the look on the child's face was anything to go by). The child is the first to notice Kayami and narrowed their pink eyes at her, obviously waiting to see if she'd join the cruel adults instead the Ki girl moved to block the nobles view of the child and woman.

"Leave." Kayami said as she spread her arms wide, fixing a level stare at the nobles.

"Leave'?! A political hostage ordering around her captors?! How amusing!" One of the nobles said before he laughed.

Kayami narrowed her brown eyes at him and said, "You're no one to me so I do not have to be respectful to you." Their eyes widen, clearly not used to a child talking to them in such a manner. She doesn't talk like a child her age, her stare wasn't normal for a child either. "The only people I will obey is the royal family not some cowards who are only brave when they are bullying a child and woman."

The nobles gritted their teeth at her words before they turned and stormed off with the parting words of 'The Emperor will hear of this!', Kayami stared at them until they turned the corner before she lowered her arms and turned to face the child and woman.

"Are you okay?" Kayami asked.

"The child stared up at her in shock while the woman next to him acted like a baby would, Kayami glanced at the woman before she moved towards her. Her path was immediately blocked by the child and now that Kayami had a closer look of the child it was obvious that it was a boy and a year younger than she was. And that he was very protective of his mother as well.

"So Kayami simply smiled at him and said, "I'm Kayami Kishii, a Ki Princess." She slipped her hands into her wide sleeves and bowed respectfully.

The boy blinked before he looked at his mother and said, "...I'm Kouha's mother and this is Kouha." He patted the woman's hair as she cooed at him, Kayami doesn't react to it instead she kept her friendly smile. There were women like this back at her Clan's home so she was used to this sort of behavior.

"It's too cold for Kouha to be out here, I'll help you bring him inside." Kayami said with a smile as she moved forward once more, slowly and nonthreatening so Kouha could see that she meant neither him or his mother any harm.

"Thank you! You're such a sweet girl!"

So Kouha and Kayami somehow brought his mother back inside (she didn't know how since they were both shorties) and had gotten her on the bed. Kouha and Kayami were both sitting on either side of her, treating her like a baby. Kayami remembered a song that her mother used to sing to her so she started to sing it for Kouha's mother.

 ** _~Father once said to me. Many moons ago. A warrior's hand will defend.~_ ** Kayami sang. _**~Mother said one day. There is more that you must know. A maiden's hand will sustain.~**_ She felt the woman start to relax against her. **_~Two hands together. Incomplete alone. Balance and union. And the gate will open~_** Kayami ran her fingers through the woman's hair. _**~Go my children go. Go to crimson flames. To save our children. The lights of memory remain.~**_ She trailed off on a low note, looking down at the woman and saw that she had fallen asleep.

"That was a lovely song." Kouha said with a smile.

"Thank you." Kayami smiled at him. "My mother used to sing it to me." She crawled off the bed before she turned around and patted Kouha's head, smiling. "I have to go but I promise to visit you and Kouha everyday."

Kouha beamed up at her, "Okay."

She smiled and waved before walking out of the room, and out of their part of the Palace. Kayami had wanted to talk to him as Kouha, not as 'his mother' but she didn't know him well enough to do that. She smiled at the thought of getting to know both boy and his mother better...

~.~.~.~.~

Kayami was minding her own business as she walked through another section of the Palace when she was almost impaled by a icicle...for real! She barely dodged the deadly missile though the skirt of her robe wasn't so lucky and now she had a tear that she was sure Kaisei would lecture her for even though it wasn't her fault.

"Hey, that was a good dodge." A voice said from above her causing her to look up. Floating, really like floating in mid air, above her was a small boy who looked to be a year younger than she was. He wore Kou robes of fine, expensive quality.

"Oi! Be more careful where you aim that next time! You could have killed someone!" Kayami yelled up at the young boy, shaking her fist at him revealing part of her true personality at him.

"But I didn't kill you so it's fine unlike the others."

"That's because I dodged it at the last minute! And killing people by icicle isn't nice!"

"So they better dodge it as well like you did."

"Not everyone will have reflexes like I do, kid."

"Who are you calling a kid? You're a kid yourself."

"And? I'm older than you are so it's my job to make sure you stop this!"

He stared at her silently for a few minutes before he started to laughing as he started to get lower until until his feet touched the ground in front of her.

"What's so funny?" Kayami asked even more annoyed.

"You are...you're really interesting, not many people talk to me like that...or have the guts to." The boy said with a smirk.

"Who are you that makes everyone act like that then?"

"I'm the Kou Oracle, Judar...who are you?"

It sounded like he could have cared less about knowing her name, it sounded like he just asked because he had been told to or something to that affect.

"Kayami Kishii." Then Kayami tilted her head to the side as she stared at him, "Aren't you a little too young to be treated like that?"

Judar shrugged his shoulders at that and said, "I don't mind...I like it since it means that I can do whatever I want."

And as soon as he said that, they both heard someone calling either his name or addressing him as Oracle.

"Tsk...and just when I was having fun with you too." Judar clicked his tongue in annoyance.

Kayami gave him a look at that but she doesn't comment on it. What fun? They were just talking now..did that mean he was going to do something else to her? She was happy that he was leaving now and she hoped that she wasn't going to see him again.

"Hey, girl...I'll see you later, okay?" Judar said with a smirk before he walked off as soon as two cloaked men walk around the corner and take him somewhere else. Leaving Kayami standing there as she thought about what he had just said.

And there goes the happiness that I felt when I thought that I wasn't going to see him again..." Kayami muttered as she headed back to her room, hopefully she would be able to fix this tear before Kaisei found out about it.


	3. Chapter 2

The next day, Kayami was wandering around an area of the palace that didn't seem to get many traffic through it, which suited her just fine because she didn't want to deal with the nobles of the Kou Empire sneering at her and looking down at her...the latter wasn't really hard to do since she was small to begin with.

She ended up in front of a door and pushed it open, she blinked at the sight before her. There were handmade dolls and other scraps of fabric strewn all over the floor in the room. Kayami looked to her left when she saw movement from the corner of her eye and had seen a small, pink figure darting into the back room. She picked up one of the dolls and walked over there, making sure to make so that she doesn't surprise whoever it was that lived here.

"I'm sorry for entering without permission, I didn't know that there was someone here." Kayami said as she entered the back room and crouched down to peek under a table that was next to the doorway. Smiling when she saw that it was a young girl, with very messy red hair, that the had caught her keen eyes, she appeared to be a year younger than she was...and very shy too. She looked ready to run away so Kayami backed away a bit to give her some room, she didn't want to make her feel trapped.

"I'm Kayami Kishii, what's your name?" Kayami asked.

No response for a few, silent minutes then a soft whisper came from the girl, "...Kougyoku Ren..."

Tilting her head to the side, Kayami placed the doll that she had picked up next to her, happy that she got a response from her. "That's a well crafted doll...did you make it?" She wasn't going to ask questions that required a verbal response from the girl, she didn't want to make her even more nervous her then she already was.

Kougyoku nodded her head, she no longer looked like that she wanted to run away but Kayami stayed where she was just in case she triggered Kougyoku's need to run away again.

"It's really pretty...you're really good at making dolls."

"...Thank you..." The young girl finally looked at Kayami and smiled at her.

"KAYAMI!"

Kougyoku jolted at the loud voice and darted under her bed, quivering in fear.

Kayami lets out a loud sigh and said, "Thanks a lot, Kaisei...I was just making progress with her." She stood up and straightened her clothing. "Sorry, Gyoku...Kaisei may be loud but he isn't scary." Kayami waited for a few minutes to see if she'll respond or get out from under the bed but nothing happened, she shrugged with a small smile. "Okay then I got to go but I'll try to visit you later, Gyoku! Bye!"

She turned to leave but stopped when she felt a tug on her sleeve. "Hm?" Kayami looked over her shoulder and saw Kougyoku standing there, holding the doll that Kayami had first picked up with the hand that wasn't holding her sleeve.

"Hm? Are you giving that to me?"

A nod.

"Are you sure?"

Another nod.

"Thanks!"

Kayami took it with a smile and patted Kougyoku's head in an affectionate manner, which surprised the girl who jerked away from her.

"Whoops, sorry..." Kayami laughed while she rubbed the back of her head.

"...No, it's okay...I didn't mind..." Kougyoku mumbled out.

She blinked in surprise before she smiled widely and does it again, "Good! Well, I have to go now but I'll make sure to visit you later! Bye, Gyoku!" Kayami turned and ran out of the room, leaving Kougyoku alone in her room.

The young girl looked around her room for a few minutes before finding what she had been looking for: unused fabrics...she will make two new dolls now! One will look like that unexpected visitor, that girl, while the other one would look like Kougyoku.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Kayami was running through the corridors when she slammed into something taller than she was, she and whoever she had crashed into fell back and landed on their butts. "Ow." She muttered as she rubbed her butt, that hurt she landed right now her tail bone.

"Ouch..." A boy's voice said.

She looked up to see that she had crashed into a gloomy looking boy with messy red hair and acne scars across his nose and red eyes. He was frail looking too, Kayami absently thought that Kougyoku looked to be stronger than he was. He looked to be about three years older than she was.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" Kayami scrabbled to her feet and helped him up. "I wasn't looking where I was going!" She was careful with how she grabbed him because even a light touch could break someone's bone if she wasn't careful.

"...You're a lot more solid than you looked." The boy mused thoughtfully as he looked at her.

Kayami blinked in surprise before she looked at him and said, "Um... Thanks?" She was unsure how she should take that.

"Are you the Ki Princess?" The boy asked her.

"Yes, I am Kayami Kishii." Kayami said not even bothering to correct the usage of a title that she wasn't called back home.

"Ren Koumei."

She frowned when she heard his name but doesn't comment on it instead Kayami smiled and bowed, "It's nice to meet you, Koumei."

"It's nice to met you too, Kayami." Koumei said.

"KAYAMI!"

Both kids jerked in surprised before she bowed and ran off without saying anything to him.

Koumei watched her run away as he thought, _And big brother thought we wouldn't see her again...And I got to see her again before he did._

Kayami finally arrived to at their living place to see Kaisei waiting for her with two wooden swords in his hands, she slowed her pace with a frown until she stopped before him. She tilted her head in a silent question at the sight of the swords.

"The Emperor wants to see just how strong we are in battle so he's planning to take you on the next war campaign." Kaisei said as he tossed her the smaller wooden sword. Kayami caught it stunned as she stared up at her mentor with widen brown eyes. "I hope you're ready for a rough training, child."

She looked at her mentor then looked at the sword in her hands before she looked back at him, "I am, Kaisei...do your worse."

"Kaisei smiled and said, "Oh, I will."

He led her to the garden, which was now their sparring area since it was private and enclosed. Keeping them well hidden from the prying eyes of the Kou nobles, who watched them for any sign of weakness or a mistake that they could whisper in the ears of either the Emperor or Empress.


End file.
